Banana and chocolate alfajores with peanut butter and coconut

Last week we talked a little bit about cacao, the most gratifying superfood in vogue. As we mentioned in the article, Peru is now one of the biggest producers of organic cacao in the world, and loving chocolate the way we do, we couldn’t be happier about that! So continuing with that theme…

A few years ago I was working at home, spending long hours in front of the computer, and even longer hours looking for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. I was trying to start a cookie business and a blog at the same time. One day I was telling my friend James about the secluded life I was living, and how disconnected and protected from the outside world I felt. The only danger in my life, I told him, was my excessive consumption of chocolate. “You should write a book called Death by Chocolate” was his witty answer. Death by chocolate! It fit me like a glove.

Fast forward 4 years, and here I am, still indulging in my favorite drug on a daily basis, but this time, consuming it for its health benefits as much as I do for its incredible taste. When I look back at those sugar rush years, I feel incredibly fortunate to have reached a point where I can now eat my favorite foods wisely, in benefit not only of my cravings, but also of my well-being. My book would now be called Life by Chocolate.

This little recipe is just one example of the many delicious and nutritious things one can prepare with this superfood. Inspired by one of my favorite traditional sweets,alfajores, and by the chocobananos (frozen bananas on a stick, covered in chocolate) we used to have during our holidays in Central America, this raw/vegan/gluten-free/sugar-free nibbles are all I need to make me smile when my sweet appetite kicks in. Isn’t it great to be able to have a delicious sweet bite, knowing it’s also fantastic for you? All it takes is a bit of creativity, but it is possible to get to that perfectly guiltless and fulfilling recipe. Mega YAY for that, and see you on the dark (chocolate) side!

The chocolate it called for was WAY too bitter, it completely cancelled out the sweetness of the banana and peanut butter. I did exactly as instructed. Not very good, unless you are going for the bitter tasting thing.

Yes Jayme, bitter chocolate is not for everyone. We are bitter chocolate kind of girls! Maybe try it again with the chocolate of your choice next time (70% cacao or less). Or you can add some honey or sweetener of choice to the melted chocolate. In fact, I will add that to the recipe right now as an option, so thanks for sharing your thoughts. For me, the banana is enough sweetness, especially because I follow a sugar-free diet. But you should adapt it however works best for you.

I am a little confused by your instructions.
How exactly do you do it?
So you melt the chocolate, put banana on top and then pour some more chocolate on top of the banana?
and where does the peanut butter go

Hi Katerina. Thanks for your question. You have to melt the chocolate, dip the banana in the chocolate (you can turn it with a spoon to make sure all sides of the banana are covered), and then freeze. It’s easier if the banana slices are already frozen when you dip them in the chocolate, so the chocolate hardens immediately. Then you put the chocolate covered bananas in the freezer for a few minutes, until the chocolate is completely hard. Once they are ready, you take two slices, and put some peanut butter between them, like a sandwich. Is this easier to understand?